15^th Sept^r 1756—
D^r B^r
My last Lett^r to B^r Iohn & Y^rself was dated the 13^th of Iuly at
Fort Frederick a place of Defence that I was constructing on the
Western Frontiers of the Province at the Distance of about 125
Miles trom this place. As soon as some Barracks were finished
for the Accomodation of the Garrison; & the other Works
raised enough to cover the Men & to give the Officers an Idea
of what I would have done, I took my Leave of them &
returned hither the 16^th of last month having appointed that
Day for publishing His Majesty's Declaration of War which I
had received by Lord Loudoun. Since that time a Party of
Indians has advanced into Pensilv^a reduced one of the Forts
that Governor Morris & the Commissioners built last year on
the Frontiers of that province & made the Garrison consisting
of 25 Men Prisoners. Thence they made a Descent into this
Province & cut off some People that lived more than 12 Miles
on this Side our Fort. This Accident has so terrified our Back
Inhabitants that Hundreds of them have abandoned their
plantations & one of our most flourishing German Settlements
is on the Brink of being entirely broke up, beside the two
Companies belonging to the Fort I have ordered a Detach-
ment of 200 from the Militia to assist & protect them but I am
afraid that even this Reinforcement will not prevail on them to
stand their Ground, so deep an Impression has the Cruelty of
Indians made on their minds, & so little did these People
deserve the favourable Opinion that we heretofore used to
entertain of them. The Reduction of Fort Granville in Pensa
as I have above related has been attended with dreadful Con-
sequences in that Province, the Inhabitants of a whole County
that bordered on Us are retired for the most part over Susque-
hanna, from easy Circumstances they are at once reduced to
a State of Beggary & extreme Want & by their Flight our
Northern Frontier is left exposed for 30 Miles in length,
thus will these Colonies feel the Consequences of each others
Remissness & vain will be the Resolution or Efforts of any one
of them to put a Stop to the Devastations of these Barbarians;
they must as they have been often told act in Conjunction &
exert their united Strength to find the Enemy Employment in
their own Country & to the Westward of these Colonies but
alass a Defensive War is the utmost that any of our Assemblies
will think of or provide for & such a War with Indians will
inevitably prove our Ruin. Governor Denny upon his Arrival
gave me some hopes that his Assembly would grant a very
considerable Sum of Money & raise Men for a Western Expe-